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JANSEN PLEDGES FUTURE TO ROVERS

By Peter O`Rourke

BLACKBURN ROVERS' in-form striker Matt Jansen has handed the club a major boost by revealing that he wants to stay at Ewood Park and help the club back into The Premiership.

The England Under-21 international, who joined Rovers from Crystal Palace for £4.5 million two seasons ago, has been linked with a number of Premiership sides including Tottenham and Leicester City over the last month or so, but he has admitted that he does not want to go anywhere.

"There have been rumours about other clubs, I don't know what the truth is, but my main objective is to stay here," said Jansen.

"Things are going well, I'm enjoying it and I want to help Blackburn back into the Premiership.

"We've got a young squad, which is only good for the future and if we get back up, then we're going to be a force for the future."

Jansen, who has helped Rovers to third place in the table scoring five goals in his last four league games, feels the arrival of veteran striker Mark Hughes has helped him find some of his old form.

"Mark takes all the physical pressure off me," said Jansen. "His arrival has made such a difference.

"The great thing for me is that he really puts himself about. He lets me get the ball down and play. He takes the hard stuff and I can get in behind him and try to be inventive," added the former Carlisle star.

Rovers, meanwhile, have brought Marc Keller to Ewood from West Ham, taking up the defender`s contract until the end of the season.

Keller, speaking on his personal website, said: "I'm not a Hammer anymore, I've just signed a six-month contract with Blackburn Rovers.

"You can easily imagine how happy and how overwhelmed I am with this late development. What a pleasure for me to join such a big side with a glorious past and with ambition for the near future."

He revealed the background to his move, saying: "Last week, I spoke with Harry Redknapp, our coach, who told me he was very pleased with what I was doing for the club and that he would have been happy to keep me in his side until the end of my contract in 2003.

"But he told me too that Blackburn Rovers were interested in signing me. I must thank Harry and all the West Ham staff who have always been very supportive and did their best for the achievement of this transfer."